Electric welding



May `28, 1946. w. c. HEATH ELECTRIC WELDING 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 William Chfemh y INVENTOR.-

ATTORNEY Filed April 9, 1945 nuulull H ummH l May 28, 1946.

W. C. HEATH ELECTRIC WELDING Filed April 9, 194sY 7 sheets-sheet 2 mi 52 LM f mi ' William Clienth INVENT OR.

ATTORNEY;

w. c. HEATH 2,401,243 v l ELECTRIC WELDING May 28, 1946.

Filed April 9, 1943 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 William CHeah IN VENTOR,

ATTNEYZ May 28, 1946. w, c. HEATH ELECTRIC WELDING Filed April 9, 1945 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 1mm CHeah INVENT OR.

AT1-@Rmx Many 2&9 E94@ W, HEATH EAL@ ELECTRIC WELDING Filed April 9, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 W William Heah INVENTOR. fm

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ELECTRIC WELDING Filed April 9, 1943 7 SheeLS-Sheei;

INVENTOR.

q ATTORNEY May Z8, 1946.

w. c. HEATH 2,491,243

ELECTRIC WELDING Filed April 9, 1945 III/3.10..

7 Sheets-Sheet 7 ulll William C, He cvh INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 28, 1946 UNITED STATE sAv P-A'rrsrl'r oFFlcE ELECTRIC WELDING William C. Heath, Shorewood, Wis., asslgnor to A. O. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, -Wis., a corporation of New York 'Application April s, 1943, serial No. 482,381

16 claims. (o1. 21e- 10) This invention relates to electric welding of seams as by resistance or ash butt welding.

The advantages 'oi' flash welding in mass production operations may not be fully realized where the setup time for welding prevents the rapidproduction of welds in the welding machine.

, This is particularly true where a number ofl diflerent-types of pieces are to be welded in'one machine and it is necessary to change the weld--v ing electrodes or dies to accommodate each type of piece. Frequent changes of ,the electrode often reduce the time of operation of a welding machine to a point where the cost is too great for the product.

Likewise, where a plurality of parts are tobe welded at two or more seams simultaneously, the

to economically carry out in the welding machine itself.

parts are clamped with spacer members therebetween in one electrode of the machine and one or a similar number ofcomplementary parts are clamped in the other electrode of the weldingmachine.- In trying to clamp such parts in a welding machine it is often very diilicult to obtain the accuracy of relative location of the parts necessary for good welding, and the time involvedreduces the output of the machine.

The object of the invention is to eliminate thesev diiculties and to -obtain greater production from welding machines.

In carrying out the invention the parts to be welded are clamped in cartridges or subassembly y units outside of the machine and'fed to the machine where two or more cartridges are clamped in the Welding electrodes for welding, and the setup time in the machine is kept at aminlrnum.

- Where different sizes or types of articles are to be welded in the machine, separatelelectrode clamps are designed to correspond to each particular size or type of piece and to t directly into themachine as cartridges without requiring a setup change in the machine. Likewise, where the shape of thel parts at the edge to be welded requires specialclamping to hold the parts, this clamping is done in a subassembly operation with separate electrode clamps which subsequentlyfit plication of the invention to the electric flash welding .of longitudinal seams of aircraft propellers. y

The views of the drawings areas follows:

Figure 1 is a plan view oi' a welding machine with preassembly stations:

.setting-up time for the parts may be too great Particularly is this so where two or more Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine and preassembly stations;

Fig'. V3 is a side elevation of an assembly table and press with parts in section and withaI foil package therein:

. Fig. 4 is a similar view of a part of the table and press with al trailing edge package therein;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 6 is a verticalsection taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4:

. Fig. '7 is a sideel'evation of a completed cartridge showing the manner of rolling it into the welding machine from the transfer table;

Fig. 8 is an end elevation ofpart of the welding machine with parts sectioned and showing the cartridges in place for welding;

Fig. 9 is similar to Fig. a showing the parts 11- nally welded together;

Fig. 10 is. a top plan view of the cartridges in n vMarch 26, 1943, `ior Electrically welded hollow steel propeller blade and method of making the same.

The member I comprises a V-shaped forging having its central apex portion extending lengtx tudinally of the member to constitute the trailing edge I` of the final-propeller blade. The two edge portions 5 and 6 of the member l are constructed for electric iiash welding to the corresponding edge portions l and 8 of foil plates 2 and 3, re-

` spectively. This flash welding of the edges 5 and intothe welding machine without delay. f Where two or more seams are-to be welded` simultaneously in parallel, the several parts are first clamped'in subassemblies and then positioned in the machine to present theedges ofthe piece or pieces on one side of the welding machinev as va unit to the corresponding edges of the piece or pieces on the other side of the welding machine yThe accompanying drawings illustrate the ap..

time of setup and greatly increases the output oi 1 and of the edges Sands -is done in one operation/'in the welding machines, the twoseams being in parallel with one another.

If the several parts were set up in the welding machine 9 in accordance with regular flash welding practice, the machine would `have a time cycle of operation several times that of the welding portion of its cycle. Thepresnt inventlonsaves the the welding machine by providing a subassembiy of the parts which can be quickly introduced to the machine. The time cycle of operation of the machine is reduced to less than 25% of the former cycle and thereby more than four times the output of propellers can be obtained without increasing the number of expensive welding machines. The relatively inexpensive equipment necessary to provide this increased production results in a substantial saving in cost.

This is accomplished by providing stations outside the welding machine for assembling the several parts in a pair of packages for welding. The member I is assembled and clamped in one package I while the two plates 2 and 3 are assembled and clamped in the other package II.

The package III comprises a base I2 having a fiat horizontal bottom for resting upon the platen I3 of the welding machine 3, and a vertical rear edge for engaging the push or backing up member I4 of the machine to apply the welding pressure. A `blank supporting uprightv I5 is cast integrally upon base I2 and has a front edge recess therein for receiving a work clamping member Il.

Downwardly extending transverse slots I1 in the upper surface of upright I5 are disposed to receive lugs I8 secured to the edge 4 of member I as set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 481,571, filed April 2, 1943, for Electric flash welding. The outer ends of lugs I8 are threaded and extend into larger openings I9 in the top of 'upright I5 and receive nuts 20 for tightening and holding member I in place.

A top clamping member 2I carries an upper work clamp 22 and has its rear edge abutting against a vertical shoulder in upright I5 to transmit the welding pressures. The member I constituting the work piece is thus clamped between membersV I6 and 22 which have their faces contoured to receive the piece and hold it in proper shape for welding. Wooden blocks 23 or blocks of relatively soft metal should be driven in between the upper and lower portions of member I to hold the edge portions 5 and8 outwardly in place against the clamps I8 and 22. The package IU is held together by means of a plurality of cap screws 24 passing downwardly through the clamping member 2| and threaded into the base I2.

Package II is constructed somewhat similar to package I0. Package II has a base 25 upon which is cast an upright 2B along its rear edge. The base 25 has a fiat bottom for restingr upon the platen 21 of the welding machine 9. The rear vertical edge of base 25 engages the push or backing up member 28 o f the machine to apply the welding pressure.

A replaceable lower work clamp 29 rests on top of base 25 and is shaped on its upper surface to t and support the camber plate 2. An intermediate spacer block 30 rests on plate 2 and` in turn supports plate 3 invertically spaced relation to plate 2, the upper and lower faces of block 3U being of a contour to substantially iit the shape of the plates 3 and 2, respectively.

The upper clamping member 3| carries two spaced longitudinally extending work clamp strips 32 and 33 for applying a substantial downward clamping pressure upon the assembly. The spacer block 3l! and member 3| extend beyond the ends of the work and bolts 34 extend upwardly from base 25 through openings in the block 30 and member 3I to receive nuts 35 for securing edges 1 and 8 extending freely from the package and in correct spaced position for alignment with the respective edges 5' and 6 of member I. The rear edges of plates 2 and 3 extend beyond the clamping members to abut against the push block 35 which in turn engages upright 26 to transmit the welding backing up pressure to the plates.

The packages I0 and II are assembled separately in different preassembly stations 31 and 38, there being as many stations as are necessary to keep the welding machine busy. Each station comprises a table top 39 upon which the assembly is made up, and a press 4U for securing the parts under pressure at the time the cap screws 24 and bolts 34 are applied.

The press 40 may be of any suitable kind, that shown having a vertically movable cross head 4I supported on .end vertical rods 42 reciprocating in bearings 43 secured in the table top 39. The lower ends of rods 42 are supported by the bell crank levers 44 operated by the double-acting fluid pressure cylinder 45, connecting the lower ends of the levers. The levers 44 are pivoted at 46 to cross beams 41 ,secured to the under side of the table top 33 and transmitting upward pressure thereto in counteraction to the down ward pressure of cross head 4I.

The cross head 4I is hinged to a rod 42 at one end, and has a lateral slot 48 for receiving the rod 42 at the other end, to provide for swinging of the cross head out of the way when the package parts are being' assembled and when the package is being moved by an overhead crane.

The cross head 4I at the station for assembling the trailing edge package has openings 49 therein as shown in Fig. 4 to provide access to tighten the cap screws 24 intermediate the ends of the package.

After a package I0 or II is assembled on top 39 beneath cross head 4| the latter is moved downwardly by means of cylinder to press the assembly together. Then the cap screws 24 or 35, as the case may be, are applied and tightened to secure the package. The cross head 4I is then raised and pivoted out of the way, and the package lifted, by a crane 50 onto a transfer car 5I located between two stations 31 and 38. When a package II! and a package Ii are loaded onto thetransfer car 5I in relative position for welding, the car is moved to the frontof the welding machine.

The packages are heavy, and in order to trans-- fer them from car 5I to the platens i3 and 2l of the welding machine the base of each package is provided with wheel supports 52 at one end, normally spaced above the bottom of the base and the bottom of the base is slanted upwardly at this end, as at 53. The other end of the base of each package has an upwardly recessed shouls der 54 under which a lever tool 55 is hooked. The tool 55 has a fulcrum support on a pair of rollers 56 and the outer end o1' the tool likewise has rollers 51 for engaging the top of car 5I when the tool is in operation. The tool 5B is bent at its fulcrum so that when its outer end is manual ly pushed downwardly to horizontal position its other end raises the end of the package and tilts the cartridge together with the work clamped the latter sufficiently to cause the wheels 52 to engage the car 5I. Then the package can be moved forwardly into the welding machine on the wheels 52 -and rollers '56. For this purpose the top of car 5I should be at the same heighth as the top of platens I I and 21.

The packages are guided into the welding machine by means of interlocking guide members edges of the parts, removing said packages as a. unit from the machine,I and disassembling the sackages to free the welding dies for-use in sucated dowel pins 6I are lowered into upward dow- 'i el receivingr bosses 62 vat the rear corners of the' This doweling operation locates and packages. indexes each package relative to its respective platen and push member of the welding machine.

Upon nal positioning of the packages in the welding machine the transformer secondary terminals 63 are brought into pressure engagement with the upper and lower surfaces of the packages .to transmit the welding current thereto. In the machine illustrated there are two transformers: one, 64, above the welding platens I3 and 21, and the other, B5, below the welding platens. The upper clamping member 2i of package I0 is engaged by one of the secondary Aterminals 63 of transformer 64, while the upper clamping member 3I of package Il is engaged by the other secondary terminal 63 of transformer 64. Likewise,-

the bottom of b-ase I2 of package I0 is engaged by one of the secondary terminals 63 of transformer 65, while the bottom of base 25 of package II is engaged by the other secondary terminal 63 of transformer 65.

In the welding operation, platen 21 and its package II and electrode termin-als remain stationary. while platen I3 and its package I0 and electrode terminals move toward platen 21. In this manner the opposed edges 5 and 1, vand 6 and 8, are brought into flashing contact and finally bumped together to produce the flash welded seams 66 and 61,-respectively. During the flashing contact of the edges the welding current passes through the respective vclamping members of packages I0 and II in reaching the work pieces from the terminals 63.

After the welding operation, platen I3 is withdrawn from platen 21 and the packages with their welded work pieces are withdrawn from the machine as a unit onto the transfer car 5I and thence to a disassembling station 68. In order to provide for separation of the platens I3 and 21, the interlocking guide members 58 and 59 on one side, preferably the snide of the movable platen, are/discontinuous and have side openings 69 corresponding'fto the opposing re- .spective guide member so that they` do not interlock in the nal welding position. y

The invention may have various embodiments within 'the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In the electric flash welding of parts diflicult to assemble in the welding machine and requiring a set up time unreasonably lone,r relative to the Welding cycle, the conservation of the time of the welding machine for weldingr by assembling the opposed work parts externally of the'welding machine in separate portable packages wherein the respective parts are clamped by electrode welding dies under welding -contact pressure, transferring a plurality-'of such packages containing the opposingwork parts to a ash welding machine with said packages disposed in relatively movable supports therefor and with the edgesof the parts to be welded disposed in alignment for welding. applying the terminals of a welding current source to tbe corresponding packages, relatively moving the packages in the welding machine while applying the welding current thereto to effect flash welding of the aligned cult to assemble iri the welding machine and re- 'quiring a setup time unreasonably long relative to thefwelding cycle, the conservation of the time of the welding machine for welding byassembling the opposed work parts externally of the welding machine in separate portable packages wherein the respective parts are clamped by electrode welding dies under welding contact pressure, transferring a plurality of such packages containing the opposing work parts to a flash welding machine with saidpackages disposed in relatively movable supports therefor and with the edges of the parts to be welded disposed in alignment for welding, applying the terminals of a welding current source to the corresponding packages, relatively moving the packages in the welding machine while applying the welding current thereto to effect flash welding of the aligned edges of the parts, removing said packages as a unit from the machine, disassem-bling the packages to free the welding dies for use in successive welding operations and provide the welded parts for subsequent fabrication, and carrying out continuous assembly operations upon successivepackages to keep the welding machine occupied with welding operations most of the time. the successive sets of vwelding dies being cooled during the portion of the time cycle when they are outof the machine. Y

3. In electric flash welding two or more seams in parallely simultaneously, the securing of the -adjacent edge portions of the work, to be welde'd to corresponding, adjacent edge portions, in a preassembled portableA package with welding dies fitting said work` for clamping the same in position and conducting welding current thereto. securing the corresponding opposing edge portions, to be welded to saidrst named adjacent edge portions, in a similar separate preassembled portable package, placing said packages in a welding machine, applying electrode contacts tothe packages with one package receiving current from .one terminal of a welding current source and tlhepther package receiving current from the opposite rterminal of the current source, establishing relative movement between said packages toward one another to establish a flashing of the metal at `the opposed edges until the same are substantially uniformly heated, then pressing the opposed edges together under substantial pressure to complete the weld, removing the welded packages from the machine, and finally removing the welding dies from the parts. 4. In the electric butt welding of a product' requiring the use of different welding dies'for different siz and shapes of the product, avoiding the loss of use of the welding machine due to changing of the welding dies, by constructing the machine with electric terminals and pressure applying members adapted to fit and clamp against corresponding cartridges of standard size and shape, pre-assembling successive cartridges each containing a separate work piece of the desired size and shape clamped by complementary welding dies presenting a standard external size and shape for fitting into said welding machine irrespective of the size and shape of the respective work piece, and successively transferring to the machine sets of cartridges and butt welding the sam'e therein.

5. In the electric butt welding of a product requiring the use of different welding dies for diiIerent sizes and shapes of the product. avoiding the loss of use of the welding machine due to changing of thc welding dies, byV constructing the machine with electric terminals and pressure applying members adapted to fit and clamp against corresponding cartridges of standard size and shape, providing a plurality of sets of portable welding dies to fit the work pieces for each size and shape of product and adapted to be assembled externally of the machine into interchangeable sets of cartridges irrespective o! the size and shape o the Vwork pieces, pre-assembling successive cartridges and shape for fitting into said welding machine irrespective of the size and shape of the respective work piece, and successively transferring to the machine sets of cartridges and butt welding the same therein.

6. In electric iiash welding, the steps of assembling a part to be welded with a compiementai` portable section of the welding dies exteriorly of a welding machine, clamping the assembly together under pressure, securing the assembly with the part in pressure engagement with said section of the welding electrode dies. transferring the assembly to a flash welding machine with an edge of the work piece exposed for welding, connecting the welding dies to a terminal of a source ofwelding current, and nash welding said exposed edge of the work piece to an opposing edge o1' a corresponding work piece.

7. In electric flash welding, the securing of one work piece to be welded in a pre-assembled portable package with welding dies fitting thepiece for clamping the same in position and conducting welding current thereto, securing the corresponding opposed work piece in a similar separate preassembled portable package, placing said packages in a welding machine with the edges spaced and in alignment for welding, applying electrode contacts to the dies of the packages with one package receiving current from one terminal of a welding current source and the other package receiving current from the opposite terminal of the current source, establishing relative movement between said packages toward one another to establish a flashing of the metal at the opposed edges until the same are substantially uniformly heated, then pressing the opposed edges together under substantial pressure to complete the weld, removing the welded packages from the machine, and finally removing the welding dies from the welded parts 8. In electric flash welding, the method of obtaining adequate and uniform contact pressures between an electrode and a work piece independently ol' the application of welding pressure and without wear on the electrode,4 comprising the steps of assembling a part to be welded with a ages of welding dies each conforming to the shape of the respective part and leaving the edge portion to be weldedy and also -a rear portion of the part freely exposed, clamping the parts of each package together in a direction substantially perpendicular to the exposed welding edge and to the direction of the welding pressure to be applied thereto, transferring the packages to a Ilash welding machine having movable electrodes adapted to contact the corresponding welding dies thereof and relatively movable control members adapted to engage the exposed rear portions oi' the respective parts to apply the welding pressure thereto in a direction substantially at right angles to the clamping pressure of the welding dies, and flash welding said parts together in said machine.

10. In electricv flash welding, the clamping of the respective work pieces in separate pre-assembled portable electrode die packages with the edges to be welded exposed, transferring said packages to a iiash welding machine with the exposed edges in alignment for welding, applying electrode terminals to the electrode dies to supply welding current to the work pieces and across the opposed edges thereof, relatively moving the packages to establish and maintain a flashing of the meeting edges of the work pieces, and finally pressing said packages relatively toward one another to abut the edges of the work pieces under a welding pressure without disturbing the pressure contact between the work pieces and the welding dies.

11. In electric ash welding, the securing of one work piece to be welded in a preassembled portable package with welding dies fitting the piece for clamping the same in position and conducting welding current thereto, securing the corresponding opposed work piece in a similar separate preassembled portable package,` placing said packages in a welding machine with the edges spaced and in alignment for welding, doweling said packages in place, applying electrode contacts to the dies of the packages with one package receiving current from one terminal of a welding current source and the other package receiving current from the opposite terminal of the current source, establishing relative movement between said packages toward one another to establish a iiash-y ing of the metal at the opposed edges until the same are substantially uniformly heated, then pressing the opposed edges together under sub-.

stantial pressure to complete the weld, removing the welded packages from the machine, and finally removing the welding dies from the welded parts.

12. In electric flash welding, the clamping of the respective work pieces in separate pre-assembled portable electrode die packages with the edges to be welded exposed, transferring said packages to a flash welding machine and doweling said packages in place with the exposed edges in complemental portable section of the welding Y machine, and disassembling the package to 're` move the welding electrode therefrom.

9. In electric flash welding, the assembling ofthe parts to be welded in separate portable packalignment for welding, applying electrode terminals to the electrode dies to supply welding current to the work pieces and across the Opposed edges thereof, relatively moving the packages to establish and maintain a ashingof the meeting edges of the work pieces, and finally pressing said packages relatively toward one another to abut the edges of the work pieces under a welding pressure.,

13. In combination, an electric flash weldin! machine having means to supply welding current to the work pieces to `be welded, to relatively move the work pieces during flashing and to apply welding pressure thereto,a pair of portable package units each comprising electrode die members litting a work piece to be welded to a corresponding work piece of the other and independent clamping means for securing the work piece between the die members of the package unit, said package units 'being of a predetermined size and shape for tting into said welding machine and being adapted to be preassembled externally of the machine and to be readily inserted and removed to provide for rapid loading and unloading of the machine in a short time cycle, and means to separately support said package units in the machine in engagement with said current supplying and pressure applying means and with their corresponding work pieces in opposed position for flash welding.`

14. In combination, an electric ash -welding machine having means to supply welding current to the work pieces to be Welded, to relatively move the work pieces during flashing and to apply welding pressure thereto, a pair of portable package units each comprising electrode die members fitting a work piece to be welded to a corresponding work piece of the other and independent clamping means for securing the work piece between the die members of the package unit, said package units being of a predetermined size and shape for fitting into said welding machine and being adapted to be 4preassembled externally of the machine and to be readily inserted and removed to provide for rapid loading andi unloading of the machine in a short time cycle, and means to separately support and clamp said package umts in the machine in engagement with said current supplying and pressure applying means and with their corresponding work pieces in opposed position for iiash welding, said separate supporting and clamping means being relatively movable to provide for relative movement of the package units during ashing.

15. In combination, an electric ilash welding machine having means to supply welding current to the work pieces to be welded, to relatively move the work pieces during flashing and to apply welding pressure thereto, a pair of portable package units ,each comprising electrode die members fitting a work piece to be welded to a corresponding work piece of the other and independent clamping means for securing the work piece between the ldie members of the package unit, said package machine in a short time cycle, means to separately support and clamp said package units in the machine in engagement with said current supplying and pressure applying means and with their corresponding work pieces in opposed position for fiashwelding. and means to interlock said portable units on their respective supports to accurately position the same for welding, said separate supporting and clamping means being relatively movable to provide for relative movement of the package units during flashing.

16. yIn combination, an electric ash welding machine having means to supply welding current to the work pieces to be Welded, to relatively move the work pieces during flashing and to apply welding pressure thereto, a plurality of sets of electrode die members each set constituting a pair of portable package units with independent means for clamping a separate work piece in each unit between electrode die members ntting the respective work pieces, said sets of package units being of a. standard external size and shape for fitting into said welding machine irrespective of the size and shape of the work pieces and being adapted to be preassembled externally of the machine and to be readily inserted and removed in succession to provide for rapid loading and unloading of the machine in a short time cycle, and means to separately support said package` units of each given set in the machine in engagement with said current supplying and pressure applying means and with their corresponding work pieces in opposed position for flash welding.

WILLIAM C. HEATH. 

